


The Archer (he is home)

by thewolvesintherain



Category: Marvel (Comics), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Aftermatch, Because Clint always struck me as at least somewhat believing, Because I can, Caretaking, Clint is hurt, Convalescence, Don't know if that's a trigger, F/M, Gen, Happy ending though, He goes off the deep end a little, I shouldn't be able to tag like this, Mind Rape, Oh great another thing which I've started and do not have time for, Oh yeah fix it, Poor Clint, Psychologists & Psychiatrists, Rape Recovery, Rape/Non-con References, Recovery, Seriously folks, Team Bonding, There might also be some actualy non-con, There's a lot of drugs in here. He's drugged a lot, What-If, alluded to at least, also, and he gets a few, but warning, don't hold your breath, he needs a hug, if it gets one, psychological treatment, there might be some church, this, this is a fic - all by it's self, want to warn you now so I don't blindside you later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-16
Updated: 2013-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-25 17:12:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/641218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewolvesintherain/pseuds/thewolvesintherain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the aftermath of Loki's attempt to take over the world, (and his assault on Clint) SHIELD rallies  around their archer. The only problem is that it's their support, not their hostility, that breaks him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, a few things  
> 1) This fic features a nice group of people in SHIELD, a Clint who's capable of making friends, and a Nick Fury who's not a bastard. I really wanted a fic where SHIELD (which consists of some of the smartest people in the world) don't hold the whole Loki thing against him. I've seen lots the other way, and while I thought they were great, I also think that it could easily play out the way I have it too. People are capable of being pretty amazing. Especially after tragedies like the one portrayed in the film.  
> 2) This leans a little more towards the comic verse, with Clint a little younger than almost everyone, and Peter possibly coming in. Also Cap is going to adopt him a little, as per comic verse. My interpretation of these things is very loose, because Marvel is sort of a shifty universe, so I'm picking and choosing what I like, and that's not liable to change. If this is going to annoy you, please just exist now - don't be the person who points out all my canon divergences. I'm not going to change, and you're going to get frustrated. This is fan fiction. It's for fun. *gets off soapbox*
> 
> Thanks, hope you enjoy.

Clint didn't really remember much after Shawarma.  
He remembered seeing Loki off, something in him hard and frozen until he was gone, and then not much else. He knows he'd managed to wait until he was in the car with Tasha, and then everything that'd happened had just slammed home on him and he hadn't been able to stop shaking.  
Tash hadn't played around, not with this, and she'd had him at SHIELD headquarters in little time at all, where Hill had taken one look at him and helped Natasha bring him to medical.

He had to say, he hadn't expected this. Not the gentle treatment he'd received at Dr. Rehhen's hands, nor the soft, quiet way Sitwell had talked to him for his immediate debrief, Jasper was a friend of his, but he hadn't expected that friendship to remain after what he'd done. The man's concern for him, as well as the slow trickle of well wishers he'd had at the door since morning was astonishing in it's warmth and it's ferocity. He wanted to ask them, all of them, that didn't they know that this was his fault, that he deserved to go back to prison for this, that he was a traitor?  
Natasha had remained at her post by his bed until she was called away to a meeting, at which point, Hill had taken up the job. He'd tried to apologize, Valium making his tongue clumsy and tired, "I trie' to shoot you."  
Hill had just patted his hand and assured him, "You missed."  
Oh. That was fine then. He didn't miss unless he meant to.  
He'd opened his gummy mouth and told her, "I was trying."  
"We know Barton. Go back to sleep."

And it seemed they did know. He was being treated as more of a victim than anything else. He'd expected a cell, not a warm bed in the intensive care area. He'd been hoping for an army cot, not soft blankets for his raw skin and shot nerves. He'd definitely hadn't expected for the doctor to take one look at him and immediately put him on the casualty list, or fast track him a place in medical. He hadn't thought it was so bad until there were people swarming all over him as he was laid down in a bed, placing IVs and getting blood work and taking him for scans and generally just telling him everything was going to be okay. He'd fallen asleep in the MRI and woken back in his room, then fallen back asleep there and dozed for the next few hours as he was scanned and prodded, and poked. They'd done some sort of neurological test every time he'd woken, and he was starting to tell from the doctors grim faces that something was wrong. 

It doesn't alarm him when he wakes and Fury's there. Nick Fury has this reputation as an unmitigated bastard, but he isn't not really. He's tough, but he's also surprisingly kind to those underneath him, and - being both Clint's recruiting officer and one of the first men who he'd ever been able to be in a room alone with, the sight of him does more to comfort Clint's fuzzy brain then anything else.  
Fury tells him, "Coulson's all right." and he about shatters with relief, jerking with the shock of it. Fury looks at him, concerned, and asks, "Barton?" but he waves a hand away and shoves his face into the pillow viciously until he calms enough to breathe again, asking, "When am I going back?"  
Fury looks genuinely confused, and he wishes the man wouldn't toy with him, but he asks, "Where Barton?"  
"To - " his voice breaks, and he closes his eyes a minute, trying to deal with the idea of going back to that cell with the bars at the windows and the lock on the door. He opens them again, and tells him, "Back to Leavenworth. I - I broke our deal."  
Fury goes a shade paler that Clint didn't know he had, and reaches for him very very gently, and says to him, slowly, so they'll be no mistakes, "Barton. You were a victim. The charges the corps had on you were trumped up. We appealed them and they went away. You have a discharge, you know that."  
"But I - I -"  
Fury shakes his head, "You haven't done anything, Barton. You're not going back to prison."  
And Clint just doesn't know what to do. 

His whole life it's been fear of consequences that kept him going, at home, in the circus, in the military. When Fury had approached him at Leavenworth and offered him a place at SHIELD in exchange for a full pardon, it'd been the best deal that he'd been offered in his whole twenty four years. Now, four years later, it was still the best deal he'd ever made.  
And there was no consequence to hold it down.  
He doesn't remember much later but trying to stop his frantic sobs, and shoving his hand against his mouth to stop. It hadn't worked, not when his hand had stung with pain, not when he'd tasted blood, not when the doctors had given him something and wrapped his elbows in soft restraints to keep him still on the bed.  
The last thing he remembered clearly - for a long time - is Nick's sad face and he rests a big hand on Clint's head, and his voice, softer than usual, asking, "What did he do to you, Barton?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, thanks, guys for all your kudos and comments. Really appreciate it. We're moving along. Honestly this is about normal (even a little fast) for me to be updating. I just don't want to lead you guys on. Hope you like it. Let me know what you think.   
> (Also, my spell check is seriously screwed up. I think I got all my typos, but if you see one, please, let me know. Thanks)

The first month is definitely not the hardest. The first month he spends in SHIELD's trauma ward, sleeping a lot and reading all his Tom Clancy back up, and spending a lot of time with Professor X to make sure there's no one in his mind but him. The man removes three or four triggers himself, an they figure a few more just are sort of overcome by time. He has half a dozen scans before he can even think about going back to work. He's starting to accustome himself to the fact that he's damaged. He literally has brain damage - you can see it on the scans.

Sitwell is his new temporary handler, and it's sort of a strain on both of them. Jasper has no idea what to do with him, nor he with Jasper. They strike some sort of agreement - he's been switched to iniative work, military contracts, and a few easy civilian ones. No more undercover work for him. He's not really too upset by it except for the fact that he's not Tasha's back up any more, he's to trust her to other agents, Tasha for her part, seems relieved - he was never that good a liar. Budapest proved that.

Once the first month is over, and once Fury and him have a long talk about how the charges that got him thrown into Leavenworth were trumped up, a bitter a superior's revenge for Barton chowing him and how yes, the did get Clint a pardon, Coulson (and Fury) convinced the marines to reopen his case, and they'd found him innocent. Record expunged, honorable discharge, the corps apologies for the misunderstanding. So no, Barton, you're not going back to prison, you don't deserve to be there, stop worrying about it, okay?

He says okay. Mainly, to get out of that office.

He ends up with an extra appointment every week with Alex, his therapist (well, not just his, but -). He likes Alex, the man is quiet, low key. Easy to get along with. Today they speak about how he feels about Leavenworth and his pardon. He doesn't know, exactly, but he knows that he can't keep on like this. Alex thinks he means living in the trauma ward, and nods, reccomends he move back into barracks, or base housing.   
But he knows if he does that, that SHIELD will protect him from angry people, and angry agents, and all the things that he is going to have to deal with sooner or later. He remembers an offer he got a few weeks ago and shakes his head, telling Alex, "Actually I'm moving in with Tony Stark."


End file.
